AfD fails to make a breakthrough in Thuringia election for the time being
Published: Sunday, May 26th 2024, 22:50
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The AfD did not make a breakthrough in the district and mayoral elections in Thuringia on Sunday. In the Altenburger Land district, the AfD candidate won the most votes in the district council election, but will have to go through to the run-off.
In some other districts, AfD candidates also make it into the run-off as runners-up. The results for district councils, local councils and city councils were still being counted in the evening.
A total of around 1.7 million people were called to vote in the local elections. Almost 7500 seats in the Thuringian local parliaments were up for grabs. The local elections were also seen as a mood test for the state elections in Thuringia on September 1. The main focus was on the performance of the AfD, which has strong roots in some municipalities and won the first and so far only district council post in Thuringia last year.
In total, 13 of Thuringia's 17 districts are in need of a new district administrator. In June last year, the AfD won the first district administrator post for the party nationwide in the Thuringian district of Sonneberg.
The election is also a test of public opinion for the recently founded Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which intends to run in the state elections in Thuringia. According to the state statistics office, the BSW fielded several candidates in the district and municipal council elections.
All Thuringians aged 16 and over were eligible to vote. A provisional interim result was expected on Monday night. A final result should be available on Monday at the earliest. If there is no majority, the necessary run-off elections will take place at the same time as the European elections on June 9.
The CDU and the Left Party in Thuringia welcomed the interim results of the local elections. CDU chairman and top candidate for the state election on September 1, Mario Voigt, spoke of a "good day with sensible decisions for Thuringia". He was convinced that the CDU would become the "strongest force in the state".
Party leader Ulrike Grosse-Röthig of the Left Party, which is once again running in the state elections with Minister President Bodo Ramelow, said that Thuringia had "not turned blue in one fell swoop" in view of the AfD's lack of success. The voters had "prevented the brown grab for power in the first round of elections for district councillors and mayors".
In polls for the state election, the CDU had recently been in second place with 20% behind the AfD with around 30%. The Left Party and the BSW followed with around 16% each, ahead of the SPD with around 8% and the Greens with 5%. The FDP was no longer seen in the state parliament. The Left, SPD and Greens currently form a minority government in Erfurt.
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